Sharon McCormick

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MBACP Accredited
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6DP
Limited availability
Limited availability

This professional is accepting new clients but may have a waitlist. Please enquire with them directly to discuss availability.

About me

Hello, I'm Sharon and welcome to my profile.  I have been a professionally qualified counsellor for 21 years, so I want to assure you that you'd be in very safe hands if you decided to work with me. 

Finding the 'right' counsellor can seem pretty daunting, can't it?  However, I'm a great believer in going with your instincts, so if you want a quick chat on the phone with me first, please send me an e-mail or text with your availability and I'll get back to you. 

I usually meet with clients in a ground floor purpose-built consulting room in Lichfield, but can also offer telephone or 'remote video' appointments.  I'm described as very down-to-earth, friendly and straight-talking but appreciate that I'm not everyone's cup of tea!  So if after finding out what your issues are, I may signpost you to another therapist or a better/alternative/more cost-effective approach as I maintain a comprehensive list of reputable and credible counsellors and services nearby and their areas of specialities.

When choosing a therapist, you may consider location, fees or even because you like the therapist's photo!  Whilst these may be valid reasons, please remember that your choice can have a massive impact (both positive OR negative) on the outcome of your therapy, so PLEASE do your homework to feel comfortable and safe with whom you choose to spend your money!  Counselling is a HUGE commitment on many levels, so finding the right counsellor may mean you need to travel a bit further afield or perhaps pay that little bit more to get a professional with a solid reputation and years of experience behind them or specific training/experience in the issue(s) you want to explore.

* TIP: If the dates of practitioners qualified are not listed on profiles, I would STRONGLY encourage you to ask this very valid question as any counsellor worth their weight would be more than happy to share this openly and willingly (and that includes me).

I am aware of the issues surrounding prescribed drug dependency/withdrawal, so I can work with clients who want to regain control over their relationship with medication and help people who want to explore an alternative understanding of (and responses to) emotional distress. 

My working history also means that I am familiar with traditional public and private mental health services and the labels and diagnoses with which people may have come to identify or, indeed, disidentify. So, I'm very attuned and sensitive to what someone may have experienced in going through that process and how it may have helped them or not. However, although I am familiar with that world and its language, I do not work from a medical model. I align myself closely with a non-pathologising perspective and am interested primarily in people’s personal experiences of the world and desire to make meaning of these experiences.

I work with anyone who:

  • Wishes to understand themselves, their identity, their wider story, and how their past links to the now
  • Is experiencing distress of any sort
  • Has experienced trauma, especially developmental trauma, or other difficult childhood experiences
  • Has or has not been through the medical model and wishes to “push beyond” or away from it to understand issues through another lens
  • Wishes to explore current experiences or difficulties with the self, with others, and with the world
  • Wishes to “grow” from their experiences, whatever those experiences might be so that they can engage more fully in life
  • Wishes to have another person join them in exploring their experiences

The difficulties experienced by people may manifest as “symptoms”, coping strategies, or particular ways of interpreting the world (i.e., behavioural, emotional, mental, physical/physiological, intrapersonal, interpersonal, or spiritual).

I am also a qualified mediator, enabling me to effectively work with couples.

I am incredibly passionate about my service's quality, integrity and professionalism and always welcome feedback to improve standards and practice.

I am also the proprietor of 'The Listening Centre (EAP) Ltd', which was established in 2002 in response to the needs of organisations to provide welfare support and stress management solutions for their employees. We have grown to a team of 30 Affiliate Counsellors covering the entire Central UK Region. Our services include Occupational Counselling, Workplace Mediation, Critical Incident Support, Training workshops and Executive Coaching. I have extensive experience working at Board Level in Public and Private sector industries, enabling me to apply a holistic view of Corporate demands in the workplace. See www.thelisteningcentre.co.uk for more information.

As an advocate for my profession, in 2017, I also launched a private counselling training centre 'Adept Central Ltd', delivering an educational pathway leading to Counselling Qualifications in Lichfield, starting with a Level 2 Award in Effective Listening Skills up to a Level 4 Diploma in Counselling.  Together with a core team of counselling tutors, support adult learners in their quest to becoming qualified counsellors. See www.adeptcentral.co.uk

Training, qualifications & experience

I am an Accredited Member of the of the British Association for Counselling and Psychotherapy (www.bacp.co.uk) and am bound by the Ethical Framework for Good Practice in Counselling and Psychotherapy.

Accreditation with the BACP demonstrates to clients, employers and peers, my capacity for independent, competent and ethical practice.  It symbolises my maturity, integrity and gives assurance of the quality in my practice.

The purpose of the BACP Ethical Framework is to establish and maintain standards for Counsellors who are members of BACP, and to inform and protect people/organisations that use my services.

Qualifications:

  • Certificate in Counselling Skills 1998
  • Certificate in Counselling Theory 1999
  • Advanced Diploma in Counselling 2002
  • Cert & Guilds Teaching Certificate 2005
  • Certificate in Workplace Mediation 2013
  • Diploma in Cognitive Behavioural Therapy 2016

Experience:

  • Volunteer Counsellor: Banners Gate Counselling Centre 2001 - 2004
  • Private Practitioner: 2002 - present
  • Counselling Course Lecturer for South Staffordshire College: 2005 - 2010
  • Clinical Lead & Case Manager for 30 Affiliate Counsellors - The Listening Centre: 2002 - Present
  • NSPCC School Service Volunteer 2012 - present
  • Director and Tutor: Adept Central  2018 - present

Like all professional practitioners, I regularly attend courses, workshops and seminars for developmental purposes.  A comprehensive list of all the Professional Development Activities/Courses I have attended over the years is readily available upon request.

Member organisations

Registered / Accredited

Registered / Accredited

Being registered/accredited with a professional body means an individual must have achieved a substantial level of training and experience approved by their member organisation.

BACP
British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy (BACP)

BACP is one of the UK’s leading professional bodies for counselling and psychotherapy with around 60,000 members. The Association has several different categories of membership, including Student Member, Individual Member, Registered Member MBACP, Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Accred) and Senior Registered Accredited Member MBACP (Snr Acccred).

Registered and accredited members are listed on the BACP Register, which shows that they have demonstrated BACP’s recommended standards for training, proficiency and ethical practice. The BACP Register was the first register of psychological therapists to be accredited by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

Accredited and senior accredited membership are voluntary categories for members who choose to undertake a rigorous application and assessment process to demonstrate additional standards around practice, training and supervision.

Individual members will have completed an appropriate counselling or psychotherapy course and started to practise, but they won’t appear on the BACP Register until they've demonstrated that they meet the standards for registration. Student members are still in the process of completing their training.

All members are bound by the BACP Ethical Framework and a Professional Conduct Procedure.

Accredited register membership

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy
Accredited Register Scheme

The Accredited Register Scheme was set up in 2013 by the Department of Health (DoH) as a way to recognise organisations that hold voluntary registers which meet certain standards. These standards are set by the Professional Standards Authority (PSA).

This therapist has indicated that they belong to an Accredited Register.

British Association for Counselling & Psychotherapy

Areas of counselling I deal with

Other areas of counselling I deal with

Sometimes people come to counselling with a 'presenting issue' which may not be what we end up exploring, so for that reason I don't have a specific area/type of problem that I specialise in.  I am guided by clients as to how to help them in the most effective way possible in the shortest amount of time.

Photos & videos

Fees

£35.00 - £90.00

Concessions offered for

  • Low income
  • Trainee counsellors
  • Unemployed

Additional information

Private clients:

Couples    £90
Individuals £70

Corporate/Occupational Services:

Initial Assessment with report £110
Face-to-face Counselling        £85
Mediation                                £95ph
Corporate Training                  POA
Trauma Care Programme        POA

When I work

Mon Tue Wed Thu Fri Sat Sun
Morning
Afternoon
Evening
Night

I can usually offer a daytime appointment within 1 week. Unfortunately at the moment I cannot offer evening or weekend appointments.

Further information

I accept self referrals as well as referrals from:

  • Employers
  • Occupational Health Services
  • Private Health Insurance
  • GP's
  • Health Professionals
  • Insurance Companies
  • Solicitors

The Listening Centre, Energy House, 35 Lombard Street, Lichfield, Staffordshire, WS13 6DP

Type of session

In person
Online
Phone

Types of client

Adults
Couples
Groups
Organisations

Key details

DBS check

In England and Wales, the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS, formerly known as CRB) carry out criminal records checks for individuals working with vulnerable groups, such as children. To find out more, visit gov.uk , or contact this professional directly

Wheelchair user access
Wheelchair user access

Wheelchair-accessible premises should have step-free access for wheelchair users and individuals who are unable to climb stairs. If a Counsellor's premises aren't step-free, they may offer alternative services such as telephone/web-based appointments, home visits, or meeting clients in different location, so you can choose the option that suits you best.

You can contact the Counsellor to discuss the options available.

Under the Equality Act 2010 service providers have a duty to make reasonable adjustments to ensure that individuals with disabilities can access their service. You can read more about reasonable adjustments to help you to access services on the CAB website.

Online platforms

Zoom

Social